Books About Rhinos We Love

Our Favorites

Andatu, the only Sumatran rhino to be born in captivity in Indonesia, tells the story of his life at the Way Kambas rhino sanctuary, his species’ fight for survival and what children can do to help save rhinos. Fifth graders at the P.S. 107 John W. Kimball Learning Center, an elementary school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, wrote and illustrated this inspiring story with a foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall. The year-long project was a collaboration between the P.S. 107 Beast Relief committee and the International Rhino Foundation. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go directly to the International Rhino Foundation for the care, feeding, and protection of Andatu and rhinos like him.

IRF’s Asia Vice President Dr. Terri Roth trudges through the thick, dark Sumatran jungle. She’s looking for a rhinoceros that’s been seen in the area. It’s a rare Sumatran rhino, the world’s smallest rhino and one of the most endangered mammals on the planet. Suddenly she spots a young female rhino through the tangle of ferns and trees. The stocky animal is covered in reddish hair and her snout sports two stubby horns. The rhino walks right up to her. Dr. Roth slowly reaches out her hand and touches the rhino’s nose. The wild rhino’s curiosity and friendliness remind Roth of Emi, the female Sumatran rhino that lives at the Cincinnati Zoo where she is working with Emi to help save Sumatran rhinos from extinction—one calf at a time. This delightful book is a true story, and Dr. Roth is a wonderful role model for young women interested in science.

Books With Valuable Life Lessons

Remy the Rhino Learns Patience by Andy McGuire

When the other animals annoy him, Remy the rhino snorts and charges right for them. One day, an aardvark decides not to run, and Remy’s horn gets stuck in a tree. The forgiving aardvark gathers termites to slowly eat away the wood and free Remy‐‐not only of his situation but of his impatient ways. As Remy experiences strange new sensations­, he takes a crash course in the virtue of patience. He waits through rain and thunder, through­ birds climbing over and under, through elephant balancing acts. ­Until little by little, he learned to relax. This hilarious story shows children how to get unstuck from impatience and to enjoy the people around them.

Rhinos Don’t Eat Pancakes by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie

Daisy’s mum and dad are always too busy to listen to a word that she says, so when, one day, she tells them that a big purple rhino has just walked into the house and taken a chomp of her pancake, guess what? That’s right ‐ nobody listens! But there’s a surprise in store for Mum and Dad when they discover that a big purple rhino has gone missing from the zoo. Perhaps they should have taken more notice of what Daisy had to say. We love this funny story about a little girl and her unlikely new friend.

Rhinos and Raspberries: tolerance tales for the early grades by Leo Acadia, Nina Frenkel and Noah Woods

This book covers topics such as tolerance, developing character, speaking kindly, friendship, and conflict resolution based on 12 stories from around the world. The stories come with discussion questions and activities with ten standards‐of‐learning‐ based lesson plans. Our favorite stories include, of course, The Prince and the Rhinoceros ‐ An Indian Tale of Speaking Kindly, Raspberries! An American Tale of Cooperation, Supriya’s Bowl ‐ A Buddhist Tale of Giving, The Stonecutter ‐ A Multicultural Tale of Being Yourself, and Crocodile and Ghost Bat Have a Hullabaloo ‐ An Australian Tale of Name‐Calling. An insightful book!

Rinny Rhino Wants Pink Pearls and a Polka Dot Penguin by Kim C. Green

Meet Rinny Rhino, a very curious youngster that loves adventure and is full of mischief. Rinny’s mischief sends her off on what she thinks will be an exciting adventure. Although things do not go quite as she plans, Rinny learns a valuable lesson about safety and the security of home. This story teaches that in the midst of troubles, helping others and working together can build valuable friendships.

Ruty the Rhino by Chris Lowe and Dan Almanzar

Ruty the Rhino wants to be like everyone else. He hates his big Rhinoceros nose and he thinks he has clumsy feet! Journey with Ruty as his dad and animal friends teach him to believe in himself…and show him that it’s our differences that make us special.

Rhino’s Horns by Michael Terry

Rhino hates his horns. He thinks they are boring, especially when compared to the curly, twisted, and spiraled horns of the impalas, gnus, and other animals of the jungle. So his best friend Baboon comes up with a plan—a plan that makes Rhino realize just how perfect his horns really are. This is a thoughtful tale with an important message full of bright, bold illustrations.

Bogart and Vinnie: a completely made‐up story of true friendship by Audrey Vernick and Henry Cole

When Vinnie, a crazy‐happy dog, gets lost while visiting a nature preserve with his family, he finds comfort in the company of Bogart, a big, lazy rhinoceros. Vinnie loves his new friend, but Bogart would rather just take a nap. A friendship soon blossoms ‐ even if Vinnie’s definition of “friendship” is very different from Bogart’s ‐ and when word of their unique situation spreads, Bogart and Vinnie are a worldwide sensation! But as soon as their fifteen seconds of fame ends, what’s left is a bond even Bogart can’t ignore.

The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm by LeVar Burton and Susan Schaefer Bernardo

When little Mica Mouse is scared by thunder booming outside her cozy home, Papa Mouse reaches for just the right story to comfort her. Hugging her close, he begins to read The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm. In this poetic book-within-a-book, a happy little rhinoceros is overwhelmed by a storm that sweeps away everything he loves. Swallowing the storm just makes him feel worse, so Rhino sets off on a whimsical journey toward healing. Along the way, he meets many friends, including a kind spider, a brave kangaroo, a wise tortoise, and an uplifting whale. With their help, Rhino lets go of the storm inside and learns to see the light in a world turned gray. Mica Mouse is soothed by the story and Papa’s gentle reminder that even though bad things sometimes happen, the world is full of people who care.

Real‐life Stories

A Rhino Comes to America (A Cincinnati Zoo Book) by Thane Maynard

This book relates the story of Bagus, a Sumatran rhino who was captured in Indonesia and sent to the Cincinnati Zoo as part of a then‐new breeding program to try to save the species from extinction. In addition to telling Bagus’ story (which means ‘good’ in Bahasa Indonesian), Maynard describes the status of the Sumatran rhino, two of which still live at the Cincinnati Zoo.

A rhinoceros is a powerful beast weighing 3 tons or more and wielding a deadly horn up to five feet long. Ruthlessly slaughtered for centuries, rhinos are suddenly one of conservation’s great success stories as populations of white rhinos and black rhinos recover. Even so, rhinos are still at risk: Javan and Sumatran rhinos are close to extinction and the world rhino population is still less than it was just 30 years ago.

What happens when conservationists meet rhinos in trouble? They arrange to airlift them to safety! Follow National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert as they move rhinos out of harm’s way, meet a courageous little Hawaiian monk seal, and a pair of Siberian tiger cubs fighting for survival. Readers will cheer as they read these completely true stories of animal rescues. Filled with engaging photos, fast facts, and fascinating sidebars, readers won’t want to put this book down.

Amazing Pictures and Facts About Rhinos: The Most Amazing Fact Book for Kids About Rhinos by Mina Kelly

Has your child ever wondered what a rhinoceros’ horn is made of? Where do they live? What does a rhino eat? Where does a rhino sleep? In this book you will explore the wonderful world of rhinoceros, finding the answers to these questions and so many more. Complete with incredible pictures to keep even the youngest of children captivated, you will all embark on a little journey into the great unknown.

Rhino in the House: The Story of Saving Samia by Daniel Kirk

From the award-winning author of the bestselling Library Mouse series comes a biographical picture book about the true story of rhino champion Anna Merz and the black rhinoceros Samia. With a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Lewa Downs Conservancy, this engaging story is perfect for animal lovers, animal rights enthusiasts, and fans of Me . . . Jane (about young Jane Goodall).

Just Plain Fun

Rhinoceros Tap by Sandra Boynton and Michael Ford

Rhinoceros Tap is a classic collection of seriously silly songs with the pizazz and charm that little listeners deserve. This truly delightful set—a Recording Industry Association of America Gold album with 647,000 copies in print—combines a big illustrated songbook and CD so children and grown‐ups alike can read along, sing along, dance along, cluck along, and oink along to the fifteen original songs. Our favorite, of course, is the Rhinoceros Tap; other songs include O, Lonely Peas, to appeal to every finicky young eater and the ever‐popular Barnyard Dance – and many more.

Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? by Shel Silverstein

While we’d never recommend keeping a rhino as a pet, we love Shel Silverstein’s loving and imaginative look at what might be the joys of owning a rhino.

How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling

When a rude rhino steals a cake, the baker gets even by filling the rhino’s skin with itchy cake crumbs in this delightful retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale.

I Know a Rhino by Charles Fuge

Charles Fuge’s delightful rhyming text and absolutely adorable images bring to life a little girl and her charming animals as they play all day. She has tea with her rhino, spins round with her hippo, blows bubbles in the bath with giraffe, and picnics on brown bread and honey with her bear when it’s sunny. And, did you ever meet a leopard in top hat and tail? He’s simply the best, as anyone can see. It’s a delightful menagerie and a sweet story – with a little twist at the end.

My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee

Rhinos are a poor choice for a pet, but Jon Agee’s lovely and creative book describes all of the surprises that might lay in store if that were possible. A rhino won’t chase a ball. Or a stick. Or a frisbee. In fact, Agee’s rhinoceros excels at popping balloons and poke holes in kites. As you’ll discover in this hilarious picture book, rhinoceroses can do so much more than that!

On the More Serious Side

Rhinos by Sally Walker

Don’t be fooled by the bulk of rhinoceroses. Even though these animals look like three‐ toed NFL linebackers, they can climb steep hills, turn gracefully, and run fast. They spend half of their lives eating; they sleep a lot too. But they are far from docile. When threatened, they point their big horns at the predator as a show of force. Because of their size, rhinoceroses don’t have many enemies‐except human beings. Today only five species of rhino remain. Walker’s thorough book describes physical characteristics, life cycle, behavior, and how groups around the world are fighting to keep them from going extinct.

Black Rhino by Malcolm Penny

This volume shares the critically endangered black rhino’s life cycle, natural habitat, food chain, and the threats it faces every day.